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Ernest Chapel narrates a story where he is a man named, Tom. It’s the end of life as we know it when he and a lady fly a small aircraft into Washington DC, just after an atomic bomb has been dropped on major cities across America.
There’s no response anywhere on the radio, except from other aircraft that had been flying at the time. Wow, somebody out there in old radio script writing didn’t know much about the effects from an atomic blast. Planes would likely be some of the most vulnerable things around. Digital circuits would have been fried in the initial blast, but in those days, radios were powered by vacuum tubes, so they would still work.
Back to the story. What can they do? Fly around and survey the effects on the ground. As they do, the details of the fate of mankind unfold. But what else is there to do, but keep on flying around until the fuel burns off?
When the tanks run dry a weird thing happens, the plane keeps flying. Other small aircraft that made radio contact, and were still in the air confirm the same thing, being out of fuel, and still flying. Hmm… sure, why not, it’s just a story.
With the old world passed away, such as it is, is there any hope of a new world? The whole time there has been a man riding along with Ernest Chapel. Who is this unimportant person? What decisions should be made?
If none of those questions make much sense, just give it a listen. Besides the weird situations that defy reality, there are some interesting concerns about priorities in society, and even religious matters.
